East Central Community College in Decatur inducted 100 students into the Theta Xi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa on Tuesday, Feb. 27, in Huff Auditorium.

Established by Missouri two-year college presidents in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and provide opportunities for individual growth and development through honors, leadership and service programming. Today Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 2.5 million members and 1,275 chapters located in the United States and U.S. Territories, Canada, Germany, Peru, the British Virgin Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the United Arab Emirates.

In 1929, the American Association of Community Colleges recognized Phi Theta Kappa as the official honor society for two-year colleges. The PTK national headquarters is in Jackson.

The ceremony began with an invocation from PTK President, Jennings Fulton, before ECCC President Brent Gregory gave opening remarks. James Miller, vice president for student services, recognized the Theta Xi officers, and the officers inducted the new members with a candlelight ceremony. Advisors Renee Boggan and Amanda Walton welcomed the new members, before Executive Vice President David Case concluded the program with remarks.

New PTK members include: Maximo Estrada Avila, Acapuloco de Juarez, CA; Raegan Kelley, Athens, AL; David Hubbard, Batesville; Langston Cotten, Brandon; Emery Carpenter, Morgan Freeny, Giovanna Grayson, Cee Jay Howard, Mckinley Peoples, Alana Shuler and Mckenzie Smith, all of Carthage; Maria Howell and Hayes Nance, both of Collinsville; Isabella Wolverton, Conehatta; Erica Ables, Lexi Beckham, Megan Beech, Amber Bynum, Zivko Damjanovic, Ashley Head, Josi Johnson and Kylee Strait, all of Decatur; Kaitlyn Jones, Florence; Vanessa Ayala Saldana, Emma Boles, Levi Boles, Aundraya Ealy, Jose Garcia Torres, John Johnston, Charles Powell, Ronaldo Suarez Brunet and Jason Tillman, all of Forest; Carson Graham and Donnie Smith, both of Greenville; Julian McCord and Conner McNab, both of Gulfport; Anna Garretson and Randarius Mclaughlin, both of Hattiesburg; Angel Valentine and Carlee Williams, both of Hickory; Luke Rudolphi, Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Emma Rhodes, Kosciusko; Maggie Alexander, Jacob Brown and Anna Sturdivant, all of Lena; Molly Crosby, Little Rock; Tanner Childs and Dallas Dixon, both of Louisville; Cassidy Wines, Lumberton; Eva Craney-Barnie, Manchester, U.K.; Evan Folse, Mandeville, Louisiana; Gabriel Brinson, Brooke Gibson, Laighton Higginbotham and Katie Smith, all of Meridian; Anthony Cruz, Montreal, Canada; Hudson Bynum, Meyli Reyes Lopez, Hugo Salazar Cabrera, Dylan Thompson, Harley Windham, and Aiden Boyd, all of Morton; Eli Smith and Allie Trager, both of Moss Point; Kasey Canizaro, Nesbit; Neil Garner, Newton; Kylee Dewitt, Pachula; Ka’davion Smith, Petal; Ali Cheatham, Mallory Duke, Brittany Dunn, Kera Easley, Jonah Guy, Dalton Powell and Miriam Prince, all of Philadelphia; Sarah Jones, Prattville, Alabama; Melanie Ugalde, Preston; Marbin Lezcano, Puero Armuelles; Jacob Lawrence, Pulaski; Sydney Myrick, Quitman; Georgia Martin, Roxie; Kai Suchet-Pearson, Sydney, Australia; Kylee Moore and Emma Rankin, both of Taylorsville; Spencer Benson, Michael Berryhill, Julia Espinoza, Coley Herrington, Jacob Howell, Matthew Lott, Andrea McMahan, Destiny Petty, Kamryn Robinson, Bankston Rush, Morgan Shaw and Lois Sullivan, all of Union; Saige Kirkbride, Vancleave; Kayleigh Karel, Vicksburg; Andrew Chisolm, Walnut Grove; and Macee Dunn, Yazoo.